Stories of Mineral Village
by Belldandy'sKeiichi
Summary: A Harvest Moon story in reverse. At the end of every season the gang meets up at the Inn to talk, drink, and share stories of recent events and experiences. HM:BTN timeline. The Return chapter now up!
1. Harvest 000 The Pilot

Harvest Moon

Stories of Mineral Village

By: Belldandy'sKeiichi

Author's Time: Falling back to my roots, I had this idea lingering in the back of my mind fro some time now. I didn't want to write it until I had the full story in my head (and apparently now in my notebook). So here it is. About a year in the making, my latest story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed acting it out in my head.

Setting is Harvest Moon: Back to Nature

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own Harvest Moon...

* * *

…It all started with a drink 

It was the twenty-ninth and I swung by Doug's place to get a drink before calling it a night. With winter freezing the field, there wasn't much work to be done around the farm. After feeding the animals, I had the whole day to myself. I mingled with the neighbors, drank a few beers, mingled some more, drank a few more…now that I think about it, winter really was the time where I drank a lot.

But I wasn't alone in the night merriment. Most of my good and close friends were there. Karen the sassy supermarket girl whose alcohol tolerance is unbelievable, Ann the redheaded tomboy who isn't afraid to speak her mind, Elli the neighborhood mother figure who always does the right thing, Popuri the childish chicken rancher that no one could stay mad at, and Mary the quiet librarian that knew way too much for her own good. But along with the five girls, there were also the five guys.

These guys were my friends long before I knew any of the girls. Cliff the girl hopping bachelor who does more speaking than thinking, Rick the other chicken rancher who likes to mount up on his morale high horse from time to time, Gary the silent listener who only gives his ideas when asked, Tim the doctor who likes to be called Doctor or Doc, and Kai the summer time bachelor who probably got more ass than a toilet seat.

These ten people were my best and closest friends. We had our ups and downs but in the end everything turned out alright. But anyways, I got my beer and was about to head out when I heard Ann call me over. Being a good guy, I came over to the lot of them as they all waved to me.

"Hey there Jack! Come sit down and hang with us. We were about to start." Ann said as she pulled a chair for me.

I smiled as I took my seat between her and Mary. All around the table were all my friends except Kai who only came during the summer.

"So what are you guys doing?" I asked them as I popped the cap off the beer bottle and took a sip. I wasn't much of an alcoholic but I knew how much I could take before becoming drunk.

"Well, we are about to exchange stories with one another." Ann said to me as Karen followed up immediately.

"We do this at the end of every season. Since the New Year's party is going to take place soon we decided to do it early." She said as see took a swing of her drink. I nodded as I saw what everyone was drinking. Mostly beer and wine. Kinda make me wonder how accurate their stories will be.

"So what exactly do you guys do? Just share stories with one another?" I asked. Was it just a big gossip group or did it have a purpose?

"A little of this and a little of that. The purpose of having these gatherings is just to catch up with one another. Work does take up a lot of time" said Mary, "you should have a ton of stories since we never see you at these things."

I gave a small smirk. There were a lot of things that I have seen and done this first year. Won a few festivals, build extensions, mined out some interesting ores… I guess I could share a few tales. "When then, should I start?" I asked as everyone scooted close to hear my tale…

* * *

"And that is how I came to sharing my stories with you guys." Jack said and everyone stared at him then groaned. 

A very irritated Ann stared at Jack. "Jack! You tell us this story every time we ask you for something interesting!" Ann yelled at him as she hit is arm.

"Seriously Jack, why do you keep insisting on telling that story?" Rick asked as he placed his wine glass down and sighed. Jack laughed as he picked up his glass and rotated it with his hand.

"Because Rick, it's tradition! Just like this storytelling circle. It is a tradition for me to tell the story of how you guys got me into this thing." Jack told them as he saw Doc leaned up against the table.

"That's true, but sometimes traditions need to stop, especially if that tradition is boring to listen to…" The Doctor said as everyone laughed.

"Haha…burned." Rick pointed and laughed as Jack nudged him hard with his elbow. "Ow! Well…I guess someone should start us off. It's been about an hour and all we did so far was drink and listen to Jack reminisce on the good old days."

With this comment, Jack's head shot up. "Oh, that reminds me a great story. How about I tell you about the time…I first came to-"

"NO!" Everyone said as they groaned again.

"What?"

"Jack, we heard that story more times that your other story…" Mary said to him as Jack shook his head.

"Yes, but this story is a classic." He said as he tried to get their attention. "You see, this story is the turning point in my life where I stopped being a boy and became a man. This is the story that changed my life forever!" He said as his voice started to elevate. "This story-!"

But then he got interrupted by Cliff's fake snoring. Everyone started to laugh as Jack just stared at him.

"Huh? Wha? You done? Great." He said as he straightened himself up and looked around the table. "Jack, no one wants to hear about the time you got your little plot of land and how much work you did to restore it. What they want to hear is the time when I was back in the city I found this hot little chica that-"

"No! We especially don't want to hear about again." Ann said, speaking for the group as the others shook their head in disgust.

"Alright miss tomboy. What do you want to hear then?" Cliff asked her as Ann placed a finger against her lips and tapped it softly. She gave a loud snap and looked around the room.

"Well, how about the other side of the story of Jack's arrival. I mean, that New Year's party was really wild if you know what I mean." She said as she winked at Elli, who turned flushed and looked away. "I'm sure not everyone knows what happen when you guys left the Inn."

"Now that I think about it…that night you, Elli, and Karen were drinking pretty hard. I'd imagine that the next morning couldn't have gone well. Especially with Jack going around town saying hi to everyone that day. Did you fake sober?"

Laughing, Ann finished off her drink and placed it down as she exhaled with a loud 'ahh'. "Alright, pay attention and I will tell you the story. It all started with a trip to the toilet…"

* * *

Harvest 000- Pilot

"I just threw up…" I said as I came out of the Inn's toilet. Sitting at one of the tables was Karen who was laughing hysterically.

"You ok?" Karen asked. "Sorry, standard question. Heh, poor Ann…you would think that a waitress would know how to handle her liquor…" Karen trailed off as I took a seat next to her, rubbing my head.

"Yes, but last night I guess I overdid it…"

It was the first day of the new year and like the pervious years, the Inn always had a special; discounted prices on all liquor on the night of new year's eve and new year's day. Yesterday was pretty wild. With people drinking twice as much, ideas were shared, funny stories were told, and embarrassing photos were taken. But little did I know that my party was far from over. Karen started to look every which way and it caught my attention fast.

"Karen…why are you looking around the room?" I asked in curiosity.

"Oh you know, use remembering what happen last night. Where people were and what they were doing." She said as she turned around and looked at the staircase. "Let's see…we had Cliff and this one girl chatting it up on the stairs. She eventually slapped him and stormed out of the Inn. So something went wrong…" She said as I laughed. "Gary and Mary were talking over taking about his work. He was talking about his tough grandfather and how he amounts to nothing compared to him."

"Was Mary drinking…?"

"Nah, she never drinks. Never will."

Something that we can rely on other than Cliff getting shot down by girls, Mary never drinks when she comes here. She usually orders water or juice. So at least I know that Karen is speaking the truth and isn't making things up like she normally does.

"Oh! And you and Elli were staring into each other's eyes over at that table. You know Ann, you told me that you were completely straight. What's up with that?"

"What?!" I said in shock.

"But anyways, I was over there with the Doctor. Did you know he studies for almost twenty years to get his doctor's degree? That's amazing…I wouldn't-"

And then my world started to crumble right before me. I turned to Karen so that we were face to face and I told her by the shoulders.

"What did I do?!" I yelled at her.

"Calm down Ann!" She yelled back as she took her hands and clamped them around mine. "It wasn't big at all. You mean you don't remember?" Karen asked me as I removed my death grip on her shoulders and thought back. I remember the beer then the chat with the Mayor…

"…and then there was the scotch I drank and the martini. That's all I remember."

"Heh, that's not all you drank…believe me."

I raised an eyebrow at her as I tried to think back but it's all blank. The closest memory I have is talking to Elli after finishing the martini that Cliff couldn't finish.

"Haha…and you wouldn't believe how many body shots you did. We had to make a special table for you Ann. But don't sweat it, you weren't the life of the party sadly." Karen said as I stared at her. "I'm always the life of the party…heh, I though you would know that by now." She laughed as she stuck her tongue out at me. "And you gave me quite the competition. Beers, scotches, martinis, AND body shots? Heh, I really had to work."

"Then why don't you have a bad hangover like I have?" I asked her. But then I soon nodded my head. "Oh right…you're Karen." She nodded her head at me as she pushed me a bottle of water.

"But man….body shots with Elli? I though you didn't like her."

* * *

"Whoa whoa…ok. So Ann tipped the bottle a little. So where was Elli when this was going on?" Jack asked as the attention turned to Elli. She sighed as she straightened up a bit. 

"Well…" Elli started off.

* * *

"Hey Ann…" Karen started as I looked at her. 

"What?"

"Did you know that Elli and the Doctor are in the same room right now?" Karen asked as my eyes widen.

"Really?" I asked back. I never would have thought the Doctor would take advantage of a drunk girl. "Did he try to…?"

Karen laughed as she looked up at the second floor where we had all the rooms. "Hah, I wish. Elli passed out after the sixth body shot you did with her. I made a face as Karen continued. "So the doctor got a room for her so that she doesn't try to walk home. I guess he also crashed when he got there." She said as we both looked at the rooms.

I stayed silent as I calculated a few things in my head. "…do you think she knows that he's in the room?" I asked her but then there was a loud sound of a door slamming. Next thing we saw was Elli rushing down the stairs and moving to where we were sitting.

"Oh my Goddess oh my Goddess!" Elli panicked as she came right beside us and took the bottle of water I was drinking. She knocked it back and finished the whole bottle.

"Hey…!"

"Morning Elli! Sleep well?" Karen asked as Elli stared at her.

Elli was a mess. Her hair was messy and the clothes she was wearing the night before were all wrinkled and covered in beer. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were some unsightly hickeys around her neck. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Rough night huh…?" I said as I went to get myself another bottle of water.

"Wouldn't be laughing if I were you. You gave her those…" Karen added as both Elli and I stared at her.

"What?!" Elli yelled as I looked over the counter to find more water. But instead of finding water I found a guy sitting on the floor with three empty water bottles around him. My eyes drooped as I stared at him.

"Cliff…what are you doing on the floor?" Cliff stood up and waved at Karen and Elli. He turned his attention back at me and scratched his head.

"Well…I fell asleep there."

"…why?"

"Because…were else are you going to get an endless supply of water." He said with a smile as I brought the half empty water bottle to his mouth. I quickly snatched it away and went back to the table.

Karen stared at him and laughed. "Were you there the whole time?"

"Oh…don't worry. I just woke up." He said as he rubbed his eyes. He stopped for a minute and started to laugh. "Hehe, I totally didn't just wake up. Haha." Cliff said as Karen and I sighed. "And wow for a little girl you sure can take a lot before passing out."

Karen looked and Elli and me and sighed. "I apologize for my cousin's behavior…" She said as Cliff walked over.

"No need Karen, they know I'm a work of art." He said, taking a seat. "I'm just pure genius."

"Please…do you even know how to spell 'genius'?" Elli asked. Cliff blinked as he thought about it.

"Well…I know there's a 'J' in there." Cliff said as Elli shook her head. He looked at all of us and blinked a few times before drinking his water again. "So what are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be cleaning yourselves up? The new guy will be here any minute."

"What new guy?" I asked.

"You mean you don't remember? Goddess I should have made a move…" Cliff said as I hit him a few times. "Ow ow! Ok." He said as he rotated his shoulder. "Mayor Thomas is over at the old farm to see the guy that's going to inherit it. He told you all last night don't you remember? Oh…heh, nevermind. You were too busy sucking on Elli's neck." He laughed as Elli took his water and splashed him. "Ah! Ok ok. Lighten up Elli. He said his name is Jack and that he'll be giving him a tour around the place starting…" He trailed off and looked at the time. "…twenty minutes ago. So ladies…better dress up." He said as he gave them a toast.

"What about you Cliff? Shouldn't you get ready?" Karen asked as he shook his head.

"I'm a dude. I can get changed and ready before you girls take a bath." He laughed.

And so we departed as we got ready to see the new farmer. I guess from there things were back to normal. Jack came and said hi to everyone. Acted like a gentleman. Little did we know he'll end up like this…

* * *

"Hey…!" Jack complained as everyone laughed. "So…what exactly did you and Elli do that night?" He asked as he stared at the two. Elli smiled at him as she placed her drink down. 

"Sorry Jack…maybe another night." She said with a smirk.

"Alright Jack. Your turn. Tell us a story that we haven't heard yet." Popuri said as Jack looked up at the ceiling.

"Ok…how about I tell you the story of my first cow?"

Everyone started to groan.

"Hey? What? What?"

"Jack…" said Rick "your stories are lame and dull. We want to hear dirt man!"

Cliff smiled and laughed a bit. Soon everyone was looking at him. "Well…I know a story he can tell. How about you tell them the story of the 'Goddess incident'."

Jack's eyes widen as everyone started to talk.

"Oh, the Goddess incident? Sounds good. Tell us Jack!"

"Come on Jack! Tell us!"

"Please Jack?" Cliff said in a girly voice.

Shaking his head he motioned his arms to quiet them down. "Alright alright! I'll tell you about the Goddess incident." He said as he took a deep breath and let it out.

"So it all started with an ax…"


	2. Harvest 001 The Goddess Incident

Harvest Moon

Stories of Mineral Village

By: Belldandy'sKeiichi

Author's Time: Thank you for reading and reviewing my story. I'm trying to make this a fun story to read without the characters going too OOC (out of character). The time line is Back to Nature but I am going to change a few things around. For example, most of the characters in the story drink some kind of alcohol. Also, Karen and Cliff are cousins. These little changes will help the story develop as the story gets more serious (whether it's romantically or hilariously serious).

Another note, I will be pulling other characters from other games, mainly HM: A wonderful life. Reason being is because it does get boring when you're writing with the same ten characters. You'll see what I mean at the end of the story (haha). So sit back, relax, and enjoy the next installment.

Also, thanks for spotting my error of spelling "Gray" as "Gary". Man…who names their kids "Gray"? (no offense to those actually named Gray! '').

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own Harvest Moon...

* * *

"Wait wait!" Rick said as he went over to the bar. He picked up a few bottles of liquor and glasses and hurried back to the table. "Oh man this is so exciting. Alright Jack! Tell us about the Goddess incident." He said as Jack looked at them.

"Alright. I'll tell you the story. But I can't say I'm too proud of it. You see-" Jack started as Cliff interrupted him.

"It all started on the eighth of spring. I was heading towards Jack's farm to see what he was up to today. I was pretty sure farm work sucked so I-" Cliff started.

"Cliff…? What are you doing?" Jack asked, staring at him.

"You were taking too long to tell the story. So I decided I'm going to help you!" He said, smiling at him.

"Ok. Exactly when did you decide to do this?" Jack asked at Cliff picked up his scotch glass.

"Oh…right about here." He said as he pointed at the brim of his cup. He was already halfway done with it. Everyone started to laugh as Jack gave up.

"Alright, I'll let you come in and tell the story at some parts but I'M going to tell the majority." He said to him as Cliff nodded.

"Don't worry about it Jack. I know exactly when to come in."

"Alright…" Jack said as he loosened his tense body. "This is the story of the Goddess incident. It all started with an ax…"

* * *

Harvest 001- The Goddess Incident

I was working on the farm, clearing out the tree stumps and logs that were scattered around the field. As I was copping down the tree stumps into lumber, I heard my name being called.

"Hey Jack!" someone called.

I turned around and saw a guy coming towards me. He had brown hair with a small ponytail in the back. He wore a tan tunic, black linen pants, and a pair of haven woven moccasins. By the look of things, I would say he was a traveler…

"What's up Jack. How are you doing?" He asked as I just stared back at him. "…Cliff. We met at the Inn." He said to me as I nodded my head.

"Oh yeah…"

"Listen. I came here to help you out." Cliff said as I turned around.

"You're going to help me clear the field?" I asked in amazement. No one ever offered to help me ever since I came here. Even though I've been here for only eight days, it was reassuring to know that people around here help each other out.

Cliff looked at me confused and said "what? Hell no. I mean I'm here to help you with your dating life!"

"Excuse me?"

"Listen…" he said as he took a seat on the stump I was hacking away at "A little birdie told me about your situation. Three years to restore this wasteland into the lost garden of Eden? That'll be tough work. And…" He trailed as I turned my back to him to cut a log that was behind me. "…get married? Do you even know where to look?"

I paused in mid-swing and though about it. All this time I've been clearing the field and watering the plants. I haven't socialized with anyone yet. And what Cliff said was true: three years to restore this farm to its former glory AND get married. Sighing, I lowered my ax and I turned to him. "Alright…you got me."

"Ah haha! That's what I want to hear. Now come on! Dust yourself off and get your tunic. We're going to go around town while I tell you who's available and who's not." He said as he hit my stomach. I recoiled and watched him get up.

"I don't have a tunic…" I said to him.

"You don't have a…?" Cliff said as he wiped his face in disappointment. "This will be harder than I though. Then…get whatever is nice and meet me outside your farm near the winery."

* * *

"What?" Cliff said as everyone looked at him. "…every good man should have a tunic…"

* * *

We walked from my farm and turned a right as we headed towards the Poultry Farm. As we passed by, Cliff extended his arm and I was forcibly halted.

"This is the Poultry Farm."

"Did you have to extend your arm like tha-"

"Lillia runs this place with her two kids, Rick and Popuri. They raise and sell chickens here. Popuri is one of the eligible girls around here. And incidentally, the girl next door if you know what I mean." He said and nodded at me. "Yeah…"

I shook my head as I turned my head to look at the farm. There was a girl feeding the chickens in the pin. "Is that her?" I asked as I turned my head. She had a cute face. Her dress was pink like her hair and her eyes were a mixture of red and brown. I smiled a bit before Cliff nudged me.

"Don't go 'gaga' on me now Jack…" He said as I looked at him then back at Popuri. Before either of us knew it, Popuri started to cluck and trotted around with the chickens. "Is she acting like a-"

"Let's go! Go go go!" He said, pushing me and we both ran from the scene.

* * *

"Hey! That was a very private moment that I was having with those chickens." Popuri yelled as she took her drink and splashed Cliff.

"Ok! How many more drink are going to soak me tonight?"

* * *

Cliff and I continued to walk around Mineral Village, telling me that there are five girls in town that weren't married and eligible.

"Popuri, Elli, Mary, Ann, and Karen." He said to me as he extended his fingers one by one. "You can try your luck with all five of them but I got to warn you, each of them are different. Well…Popuri sure topped the charts with that little action…" He laughed as we walked by the supermarket.

"The supermarket? Why are we here?" I asked as Cliff headed to the door.

"Don't worry about it Jack, I need to pick something up." He said as he disappeared behind a closing door.

I sighed as I looked up at the sky then around me. People were walking pass me heading to whatever they were going to do. I would call them by name but I have no idea what their names are! As I looked at my watch to see how much time passed, something caught my attention. A sweet combination of cinnamon and apples filled my nostrils. I looked around frantically when my eyes caught hold of a girl. She had short brown hair with matching brown eyes. Her dress was blue with a white apron tied around her. As she walked by me, our eyes met and she gave me a small wink.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Cliff said as he came out of the supermarket.

"I uh…" I stuttered as I watched the girl walk away.

"Come on, we're heading to the library…and wear this." He said as he tossed me a shirt. I caught it and outstretched it to see it better. But it wasn't a shirt he tossed me. "…this a tunic?"

I threw it over my shoulder as I followed him to the library. When we walked in, I was in awe at the rows of books that lined the walls. I found myself surrounded with pages and pages of literature that would take a lifetime to read. But strangely, the only person in the library was a black haired girl with black framed glasses. She wore a blue dress with a white top underneth but it was hard to see since her face was buried in a book. Cliff knocked on the desk and she looked up at him.

"Hey Cliff. What can I do for you today?" She asked politely.

"Hey _Mary_." He emphasized as he looked at me. "Have you met Jack?"

Mary turned her head to me and waved her hand. "Greetings Jack. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Mary." She said as she extended her hand to me. I smiled as I took her hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you Mary. I'm Jack…" I said back to her. He stared at each other for a moment but then Cliff interrupted our little moment.

"Alright! Mary! Now that introductions are over. How about you help me out?" Cliff asked as Mary crossed her arms.

"Cliff. I told you all that I know already. I don't think that-"

"No no Mary. There is something else I need help with. You see…the Goddess Festival is tomorrow. I was wondering if you had a date." He asked as I looked at Cliff in disbelieve. Here I though that he was going to help me instead he's asking out a girl. Mary smiled at me as she looked at him.

"Well…I don't. And if you're going to ask me out I would have to say…" She said as she looked at him then back at me. "Sure. I'll go with you."

* * *

"Oh Mary! What were you thinking?" Karen said as she took her glass and drank the rest of her brandy.

* * *

"Great! I'll pick you up at nine." Cliff said and he looked at me. "And now onto business. I don't suppose you know anyone that doesn't have a date yet…" He said as Mary looked at him.

"Why do you think I would know? I don't keep a track of everyone's personal life. Besides, what do you think I would know-"

"Oh that's a shame…" Cliff said as he took out a glass bottle filled with a yellow liquid and placed it on her desk. "…and I have this perfectly new bottle of apple juice that I was going to drink. But you know that I can't drink in here. It's a shame…its ice cold too…" He said as he continued to stare at her.

"Oh…dammit." She said as she took the bottle and then looked at me. "Alright Cliff. You win. Elli doesn't have a date yet. If you hurry, you can probably catch her before she goes home." She said as she looked away from him.

"Thanks Mary. You're a sweetheart. Come on Jack! We're going to the clinic!" He said as he headed towards the door. I looked back at Mary who was drinking her cold bottle of apple juice.

"It's my weakness…" She said I waved to her and followed Cliff out.

So we walked to the clinic. Cliff filled me in about the Goddess Festival. The girls in town dresses up at the Goddess of Harvest and dance at the town square at ten. It was the perfect time, according to him, to socialize and mingle with the people in town. He also said this is the time where the girls are more kind. So we arrived at the clinic and entered through the door. As expected, the clinic wasn't that big. The nurse looked at us and greeted.

"Hello boys. What can I do for you?" She asked as I stared at her. The scent of apples and cinnamon filled the air again. And soon, my memory shot back at the time outside the supermarket. The girl with short brown hair, blue dress, and white apron…this is her!

"Hey there _Elli_." Cliff stressed as he looked at me. "This is Jack. He's the farmer."

Elli smiled at me and walked towards me. I remembered the wink she gave me and I soon got flustered. "It's good to finally meet you Jack." She said as she offered a hand shake. I took her hand and shook it.

"P-Pleasures all mine." I said as I looked over her shoulder. Cliff was motioning me to talk to her about the Goddess Festival. But unfortunately my brain wasn't functioning well at the time. "I um…well, you see that…"

* * *

"I'll take it from here hombre." Cliff said as he patted Jack's arm and drank is scotch.

* * *

I looked at Jack and things were going from bad to worse. His small talk? Horrible…

"S-So…turnips…" Jack started as he talked to Elli who was looking at him with confusion.

I hung my head back and tried to get his attention. But it was no use. He was going to make himself look bad! And she's the only girl that doesn't have a date! There was no way he's going to ruin this shot.

Not to mention he wasn't wearing the tunic I gave him! Geez!

So I had to step in and save him from himself. "Hey Elli. What my spastic friend here was going to ask is if you had a date for the Goddess Festival." I said as she looked at him then back at me.

"Hmm…well I was just going to go with my little brother Stu. But I suppose I can take him on." She said as she looked at him. "I'll be on the farm. Nine o' clock." She said with some sass to it.

* * *

"I didn't say it with sass…" Elli corrected Cliff.

"My small talk wasn't that bad…" Jack said as he poked Cliff.

"Please, you were talking about your ax…I had to come save you…"

* * *

And so, after accomplishing that mission, Jack and I went to the Inn. There we met up with Karen and Ann.

"Two scotches Ann…" I said as I raised two fingers at her.

"I don't like scotch…"

"And a beer please." Karen said as we watched Ann get our orders.

* * *

"I'm going to have to ask you to stop your story there Cliff." Ann said to him as he looked at her.

"Aw why?"

"Because what happens next is something bad and I don't want to remember it." She said as Jack and Karen laughed. "Oh you two shut up."

"What happened Ann?" Gray asked.

"Maybe another night…just skip ahead please?" Ann begged.

"Feh, fine. Moving onto the Goddess Festival, I picked up Mary at nine and we headed to the Goddess Festival…"

* * *

The Goddess Festival was great, like it is every year. The girls danced their ritual dance while the guys hanged back and talked about the girls. I couldn't help but noticed Jack being silent one the group. Usually it's Gray but even he said something once in awhile. So I pulled Jack out of the group to talk to him one on one.

"Jack? What's up man? You're not talking much." I said to him as Jack looked back at the guys and the girls.

"Well…I guess there isn't much for me to say. I've only been here for a week and a half. And I'm kinda nervous." He said as I laughed.

"Don't worry. After the festival everyone is heading back to the Inn. Heh, remember the time when-"

* * *

"Don't you dare…" Ann warned Cliff

* * *

"…that thing happened in the Inn?" I said as Jack laughed.

"That, I must admit, was funny. But that's not why I'm nervous." He said as he looked back at Elli. "I told Elli that I wasn't too familiar with the town so I asked her for a small tour after the festival."

I laughed as I punched his arm.

"Oh it is on! Haha. It is on 'til the break of dawn! Way to go!" I praised him.

"Yeah but I don't know what to say…" He said as I thought about it.

"Wanna do it?" I suggested but then he hit me back. "What? Seems fool proof. Well, there is one part of Mineral Village that I intentionally left out in our little tour." I said as I looked over towards Mother Hill. Jack nodded his head and patted my shoulder.

"Yeah…yeah there is. Thanks." He said as everyone started to clap. The dancing was finish meaning the festival was basically over.

"Good luck Jack." I said to him as I met up with Mary and the others. Jack walked over to Elli and started to talk to her. As we started to head to the Inn, I looked back and saw Jack and Elli walk towards Mother Hill. Though he wasn't wearing a tunic, he definitely had luck on his side.

Later that night, Ann, Karen, Popuri, Mary, Gray, Rick, the Doctor, and me were all at one table drinking to our heart's content. "…and that's how I hooked those two up." I said, finishing my tale of why the farmer and Elli weren't at our table. Ann shook her head.

"And to think you did that all by yourself…" She said.

"…I'm a great guy but I don't have a tunic." Rick said as everyone looked at him.

Hours past and it was getting late. Also, Doug was getting mad that we were finishing his supply of liquor.

"Why are we still here? We should get home." Karen said as everyone started to get up. But soon the door swung open and Elli came in, alone.

"Elli! Where's Jack?" Popuri asked but she just walked passed us and got herself a glass of wine. She didn't want to talk about what happen that night…I asked Jack later and he filled me in on what happen.

* * *

"…so?" Doctor asked Cliff and he laughed.

"Don't look at me. It's not my story anymore…" He said as he looked at Jack. Jack sighed as he looked at his empty glass.

"Well…"

* * *

I took Elli to Mother Hill were we explored the mountain side. We found flowers and bamboo shoots and herbs. We reached the peak where we decided to rest.

"Ahh…this is the best view in the entire village." She said to me, still wearing her Goddess costume. "So…tell me about yourself."

And so we talked…about everything. I learn she had a little bother, Stu, she takes care of her grandmother, she's a full time nurse, she loves to cook, her birthday is in the fall, she wanted to have kids in the future…everything. And the more I learn about her, the more I realize that she was a cool person.

"…and one of these days I wish to travel to Europe and just sight see." She said as I nodded my head. "Me too! …wow, it's so weird. We had a lot of things in common…" I said as I found myself inching closer to her. She looked down at my hand and moved her hand so that they were barely touching.

"Maybe we can learn more about each other if we get closer." She said to me as I got embarrassed. "What do you think?"

"Well…I think you have soft fingers…" I said as I leaned in closer to her.

"Well…I think you have a cute face…" She said back as we got closer.

"…I think I'm in love with you…"

* * *

"WHAT?!" They all yelled at Jack.

* * *

"What?!" Elli said as she backed up away from me.

* * *

"…and that's the story of the Goddess incident…" Jack said as he rotated his empty glass around its rim. Everyone started to laugh as they looked at Elli who was equally embarrassed.

"Well…that's all in the past ok…and thank the Goddess the story is over." She said as she sipped her wine. "Can we move on please?"

"Heh, I can imagine how awkward that must have been several days later when you two saw each other again." Rick laughed.

"Hehe, you think that's embarrassing. You should hear the time when Elli's cousin, Lumina came to Mineral Village." Cliff laughed as Elli stared at him.

"No! We're not going to tell that story!" She warned him. "Tell something else."

"What about the time Jack got lost on Mother Hill?" the Doctor said as it made people curious.

"No, not that time. That time was horrible…" Jack said as he looked at everyone.

"What about the masquerade ball?" Mary offered as Cliff got up.

"Perfect! So it was summer and-"

"No! Not that story either Cliff…" Elli warned him.

"…so what are we going to talk about?"

* * *

Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up as soon as possible! Give it a week or so. Reviews are always welcome! 


	3. Harvest 002 The Return

Harvest Moon

Stories of Mineral Village

By: Belldandy'sKeiichi

Author's Time: Again, thank you for taking time to read and review my story. I appreciate the feedback I get from you guys and it motivates me to keep writing and thinking of more ways to embarrass/improve the relationships that each character has for one another.

As requested in the reviews, the stories of Lumina coming to Mineral Village and the masquerade ball incident will be told…but not in this chapter! This chapter is going to be the continuation of Jack and Elli story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own Harvest Moon...

* * *

"So you told her you loved her? Haha…thanks Jack. Now I know how to repel the girls that I don't like." Cliff said as he turned to Ann and smiled. "I love you Ann-"

"Oh go to hell Cliff!" She yelled as she pushed him off his chair. Everyone started to laugh as Cliff pulled himself off the floor and sat back down in his seat. Jack was refilling his glass while looking at the group.

"Ok, so that wasn't the smoothes runs I had in while." He admitted, sipping his drink.

"I would say…especially since it didn't end there…" Cliff added as it grabbed everyone's attention.

"What do you mean?"

"There's more?"

"Oh yeah…the Goddess incident continues and-" Cliff started but then was cut off by Elli's voice.

"Can we not continue the story?" Elli pleaded with them but she was cut off by complaints and moans if disappointment from her friends. "Fine…fine! You can continue the story but I will not be here when you talk about it." She said, getting up and walking towards the counter to drink alone.

"Ah! Perfect! Now we can get into the needy gritty without Ms. Righteous always interrupting me. Say Ann?" Cliff said to her as Ann shot him a glare. "I need help with this story…because I know you know this story as well as I do…"

Ann sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"…fine."

"Perfect! Now, this isn't a continuation of the Goddess incident. It's in a whole league of its own. Now listen up as I tell you the story of…

* * *

Harvest 002- The Return

It all started inside the Inn…

Jack was over at the counter drinking by himself like he always does. Ann and I were watching at a distance on the second floor while talking to each other.

"So what do you think is wrong with him? He's been coming here a lot lately." Ann said to me with a look of worry on her face. I shook my head and looked at his expression. A combination of depression and doubt.

"He's just going through a hard time…things didn't go well at the Goddess Festival…"

"What do you mean?"

Now I wouldn't gossip about people, but I knew that Ann wouldn't be the type that would put salt in a wound. Nodded my head, I told her what went on three days ago.

"Remember when Elli came here alone on the Goddess Festival? Well Jack was kinda the cause of that. You see…" I started but then I started to snicker. I found myself about to fall off the balcony of the second floor.

"What did he do!?" Ann yelled at me, like she always does, but then I tried to remind her to lower her voice.

"Shh shh! Ann! Keep it down…" I said as we looked back at Jack who didn't seem to notice the ruckus we were creating. "Jack and Elli were up Mother Hill and I guess they were having a moment. Jack screwed it up and said that he loved her."

And of course, typical girl response…

"Aww…!" Ann squealed as she clapped her hands to her cheeks.

I mean, honestly… do one romantic act and the girls go all 'lovely dovely' on you. You know what I'm saying?

* * *

"Cliff!" Ann stared at him. "Continue with the story…"

* * *

Ahem…where was I? Oh, the Inn…

"So that's why Jack has been coming here and drinking so much?" Ann asked me as I shrugged.

"Maybe. I mean, I haven't been able to lure him away from the farm ever since that incident. Maybe if the awkward air was lifted between Jack and Elli, he would go back to normal." I hypothesized.

"Well…do something!" Ann said as she hit my shoulder. "Can't see a man so down in the dumps. Besides, if anyone can help him I'm sure his friend can…"

I nodded my head in agreement. I would think of a way to get him and Elli to talk to one another…

And so…the next morning…

Jack was already up and working on the field. He was watering his turnips that he promised Mayor Thomas he would grow from him for the upcoming festival. Seeing him from a distance, I ran towards him and started to shake him.

"Jack! Jack! Come quick!" I yelled at him. Jack, who was surprised to see me, stared at me confused.

"W-What? What? What's wrong?"

"Jack! Thank goddess you're here! I need your help man!" I said, tugging his arm to get him out of his field. He pulled back his arm in retaliation.

"What do you need Cliff?" He asked as I tried to calm myself down.

"It's my plant, my moondrop flower! I think it's dying or something!" I said to him as I continued to pull at his arm.

"What?"

"I was watering it in my room like I always have but I notice that it was weak and the petals were falling off and I wasn't sure who to turn to…but then I remember you! You gotta help!" I yelled as he finally gave in and started to come towards me.

"Oh…ok! Alright! Lead the way!" He said as I nodded and ran towards the inn.

"Come on! I know you can save it!"

* * *

Cliff started to laugh as they all looked at him. Jack shook his head as he sighed.

* * *

"So your flower is dying huh…"

"Yeah…"

"I must admit…" Jack started as they sat in the clinic, filling out paperwork for a checkup. "I didn't see it coming. That was pretty good…" He admitted wagging his pen as me.

"Haha…yeah. Pretty genius don't you think? Get you to think I have a plant just so that I can drag you to the clinic instead…" I said to him but he didn't say anything back to me. "Oh come on Jack. It's been four days since you talk to Elli. Don't you think you owe it to her just to say 'hi' once in awhile?" I said, being the voice of reason. Jack finished the form and placed it on his lap. He sat there in silence before turning to me, nodding.

"You know, you're right. I mean, just because I screwed up that one time, doesn't mean we can't be friends right?" He said as I nodded.

"That's the spirit! And…you're in the clinic. The perfect place to be…" I started as I nudged him. "…safe and clean…" I said with a smirked. Jack stared at me as I nodded my head. "Yeah…that's what I mean…"

Jack sighed as a voice echoed around the small clinic.

"Alright, hope you two are done with those forms…"

Jack and I sat in attention as Elli came from the back room and walked towards the lobby. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jack and me.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked us as I took both of our forms and lifted them up.

"We're getting checkups!" I said proudly. "Hehe, we are legally seating you while you're at work."

"Don't worry Elli…" A different, deeper voice said as the Doctor walked from his desk to Elli's side. "I gave them the forms. My records show that these two haven't had a checkup for over a year. Might wanna make sure they're not incubating anything." He said to her as Elli sighed.

"Ok…I'll take Jack…Doctor, you can take Cliff."

And so we went our separate ways. When we were done with our checkups, we headed to the Inn for a drink.

"So Jack! How did it go with Elli?" I asked him as Ann gave us our drinks. She also took a seat so that she can listen in on the story.

"Well…" He trailed as Ann and I looked at each other with concern.

* * *

"Alright Jack…please say 'ahh'." Elli said to me as I complied. I opened my mouth and said 'ahh' while she looked at my throat with a popsicle stick. Even though this was a routine thing for her, there was this weird awkward air between us. I knew if I didn't do anything, nothing would change. I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Say Elli…?"

"Jack, take in another deep breath please…" Elli said as she used her stethoscope to listen to my lungs. I closed my eyes and took in another deep breath and let it out. She walked over to the counter and checked something off on the form I filled out before walking back to me with a flashlight. He shined it in my eyes and looked at me with some concern.

"Elli…we have to talk. I mean…I can't help but feel that…"

"You mean four nights ago…?" She said, as she moved the flashlight from my left eye to my right eye. "That's ok. I mean, I guess I overreacted." Elli turned off the flashlight and walked over to the counter to write something down.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I just got caught up in the mood…is all…" I said to her as I hung my head. I looked up and noticed that Elli stopped writing on the piece of paper. Though her back was turned to me, I knew that she wasn't doing anything but standing there.

"Yeah…well…" She said as she turned around and looked at me dead in the eyes. "I never had anyone say to me that they love me before."

* * *

Ann and I were on the edge of our seats and Jack stopped suddenly to take a moment to drink his drink.

"Well?" I asked him as Ann slammed her fist on the table.

"Go on dammit! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She apologized to everyone that heard her swear and make a ruckus. "Go on…" She said calmly.

* * *

"Well Jack, it would seem that you're in perfect health." Elli said to me as she walked over with the form she was writing on and handed it to me. I took it and looked it over, even though I had no idea what those scribbles mean. "If anything, I would say just keep working hard, take a break once in awhile, eat well, and don't over drink…" She said to me as I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Whew…that's a load off my mind." I said to her, laughing. Looks like the uncomfortable air was finally gone. I got off the examination table and dusted myself off. "Well, thanks Elli! I'm going back to the farm to work."

"Take care Jack." She said to me with a smile. "Oh! Don't forget this." Elli said as she picked up my hat and gave it to me. Smiling, I took it and placed it back on my head.

"Thanks Elli. I love you."

* * *

"Again?!" Ann and I yelled at him.

* * *

"AGAIN!?" Everyone else said as they laughed at Jack. Cliff tried to quiet them down but Ann patted his shoulder.

"I'll take it from here Cliff."

* * *

"Jack…whoa. You gotta stop doing that! At this rate you'll never get a girlfriend. And if you can't get a girlfriend you can't get married!" Cliff yelled at him as I got two more orders of beer and walked back to the table that they were sitting at.

"I know! It just sorta slipped out. Like something you say at the end of a good-bye."

"No…" Cliff said as he stared at him. "You say 'I'll see you later' or 'you take care too'. You DON'T say 'I love you'! I mean, what if everyone said I love you at the end of their sentences?" Cliff asked him as I placed the two bottles of beer on their table. Cliff turned around and stared at me. "Thanks Ann. I love you." Blinking, I smacked the back of his head before walking over to my seat and sitting down between the two.

"Ahh! See what I mean?" Cliff said to him as Jack said nothing. "Nothing good ever happens when you said those three little words. All they do is create trouble. It happened in the clinic, it happened to Troy, it happened in…"

"I think he gets your point Cliff…" I said to him as he drank his beer. I turned to Jack and rested my head on my hand. "Do you really love her?"

"Well…I don't know…maybe…"

Just then Cliff slapped Jack and I watched him recoil and cover his face.

"OW! What was that for!?" He yelled at Cliff as he stared at him.

"Listen to yourself man! You're talking crazy! You just met the girl and you think you're in love with her?" Cliff asked as I nodded my head.

"Cliff does have a point. I mean…it's not even the end of the first season. Do you really think you're in love?" I asked but the expression on his face said it all. He wasn't sure, but he was willing to do anything to find out. Sighing, I got up and looked down at the two.

"Leave it to me. After my shift is done, we're going to the library."

And so, after a few hours later, my shift was done and we head towards the library. In my hand was a bag of treats for Mary…she doesn't like to give out information without some kind of payment. We entered the library and waved at Mary, who didn't seem happy to see us.

"Hey Mary!" We all said at the same time as Mary lowered her book and stared at us.

"What do you want this time?" She asked as Cliff walked up to the desk and leaned on her desk.

"Mary Mary Mary…us? Wanting something from you? Never…" He said, trying to act as smooth as possible. Glaring at him, Mary slammed her book on Cliff's fingers.

"Ok, Mary?" I started as I placed the bag of treats on her desk. "We need your help." Mary looked at the bag and opened it. Inside was cookies and milk.

"I'm listening…"

"We just need you to tell Elli to go to the Inn around…" I said as I looked at Jack. He blinked as he looked at his watch. Moments later, her held up seven fingers. "…seven."

Mary looked at Jack and me and sighed. "I don't know what you guys are planning, but you got to know Elli is still shaking from the 'I love you' incident." She said as I saw Jack walk over to Cliff.

"You told her?!"

"What? No!"

"Don't worry boys…Elli told me." Mary said to them as she took a cookie and bit into it. "Afterall…I am her best friend."

We took our leave and started to head back to the Inn. I had a lot to do if my plan was going to work. In mid-thought, Cliff nudged me with is elbow.

"So Ann! What's your big plan huh?" Cliff asked as I looked back at Jack.

"We're going to make this relationship work. Jack!" I yelled as Jack quickly came to my side.

"Yes?"

"The Inn at seven. I swear to the Goddess you better be there."

"I-I will!"

"And wear something nice. I mean, that outfit is getting old and fast." I said to him as he poked at his blue shirt.

"You know what you should wear? The tunic…" Cliff said, nodded his head to us.

(7:30 pm)

"Where is everyone?!" I yelled as I looked around the empty Inn. "I don't believe this. I ask my dad to close the Inn early so that I can help these two get together and we can give them a first date they'll never forget…and they don't even show up? Cliff!"

"Yeah?"

"Get down here."

Cliff walked down from the second floor to the first, wearing a nice black suit. "Why am I the waiter?"

"Because I'm the host." I said to him. "Urg! And I even wore a dress…where are those two…?"

In fact, several hours past and they still didn't show up…

* * *

"That's because…" Elli started as she rejoined the group halfway through the story. "…Jack and I went somewhere else."

They all stared at Elli, who took her seat and looked over at Jack.

* * *

6:57 pm

I was heading towards the Inn because my friend Mary told me to. She said something about free dinner or drinks or something. She was kinda stuttering a lot as if she was hiding something from me. I sighed as I saw the Inn coming up. But before I got to the door, I saw Jack wearing a nice black suit. Grumbling, I put the pieces together.

"Let me guess, those two idiots are trying to pair us up…" I said to Jack as I walked closer to him.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about it's…" Jack said to me as I continued to stare at him. "Well…it's the thought that…" But I just continued to stare at him. "…yeah. They are…"

"Yesh…when will they stop?" I said as he turned around and started to walk back.

"Wait!"

I stopped and turned my head. Jack had his arm outstretched with his hand open.

"Please…we need to talk…like adults."

I nodded my head as I turned around.

"Alright…the pier. Let's go." I said to him as I led the way.

"Wait? What about the others?" Jack asked me but I continued to walk.

"Let them wait. We have all night for that."

So we headed to the pier and sat at the edge. Our legs dangled off the pier as we sat in silence for a minute. Jack finally started the conversation.

"So…here we are…" He said a bit nervously.

"Yeah…"

"Listen…" He said as he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for saying that I love you again. I guess it's just the pressure that I need to get married in three years you know? With hard work I can restore the farm no problem…but talking to girls and making them like me is the biggest obstacle in my life." I said nothing, allowing whatever is on his chest out.

"It's just that with you…the sweet smile, the pleasant smell of apples and cinnamon, the short brown hair…I guess I find it easier to talk to you because, well, I'm attracted to you."

My eyes widen as he said that. _He's attracted to me? I guess I shouldn't sound to surprised…he did say he loved me._ I though to myself as I looked at him, not realizing that I was blushing. I guess Jack saw it and smiled, blushing too.

"Heh, that's how I feel. And I would never do anything to jeopardize my chances with you." He said to me as I looked down from his farm to the ocean water below.

"So why don't we start over?" He offered as he got up. "My name is Jack. I'm the new farmer. And you are?"

"Elli. I'm a nurse and the local clinic. It's very nice to meet you." I said to him as I shook his hand. We let go and just stood there in silence. We don't know why, but we just started to laugh out loud.

"Haha…man. What a season huh?" Jack said to me as I continued to laugh.

"You're telling me. From confessions to festivals and now this? This is surely a season to remember." I said as I saw Jack walk towards the Inn.

"Come on, we better not let them wait any longer." He said as I nodded and followed him.

"Yeah…it'll be mean if we did that. And we don't want Ann stuck with Cliff. She'll beat him to death if we're not there…" I said as Jack started to laugh.

"Haha! I know what you mean. Man…no wonder I love you so much…"

My eyes widen as I felt my heart skip a beat…again. Jack turned around and he stared at me.

"Oh crap…"

* * *

"Not again...!" They all groaned.

"Jack! What is wrong with you!?" Rick asked as they all started to hit Jack for being so dense.

"So that's why you came to the Inn alone…Elli got mad and stormed away. Heh, and that's why you drank so much you were blind drunk." Cliff laughed as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"Feh…don't remind me. I barely remember what happen that night." Jack said as he sighed.

"Jack! And that's why you have friends and people that want to listen! Now huddle up everyone!" Cliff said as Jack looked at him.

"Cliff! No!"

"Now let me tell you the story of the spring hangover!" Cliff said, laughing a bit sadistically.

"It all started with a beer…"

* * *

Classes are starting soon so updates will be slow. BUT I will update this story ASAP mkay? Please review! My story brought smiles to your face, least you can do is make me smile on how much you like it or hate it. Also suggestions are appreciate it. Give me a scenario and I'll see if I can work with it. Until next time! 


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